Library Stock Management Policy

Shropshire Libaries enables and encourages access for everyone to unbiased information, knowledge and works of imagination:

• providing opportunities and support for formal and informal learning
• providing and promoting timely, accurate and useful information
• promoting the enjoyment of reading
• contributing to enjoyment and quality of life
• encouraging participation in cultural, democratic and economic activities
• contributing to the development of healthy, caring and socially inclusive communities

Through a published Library Stock Management Policy, Shropshire Libraries aims to:

• select and provide such material as will meet the library requirements of the community
• maximise the use of limited resources by ensuring every item of stock justifies its place in the library, and that stock is promoted and exploited in such a way that it is used to its full potential
• promote a unified approach to the selection and development of stock countywide according to the aims and objectives of the library service.

More specifically, these aims are met by:

• providing a wide range of popular material to meet the leisure needs of the community, reflecting tastes, interests, age groups, language and reading ability
• providing material in alternative formats such as large print and talking books
• acquiring material to support the educational requirements of the community in all aspects of popular learning and study
• providing up to date accurate reference material to meet the information requirements of the community
• recognizing readers’ changing needs for books and other material through customer comments, issues, library use, requests, outreach contacts, media and other communication channels
• supplying and promoting material to attract a wider and more varied readership to our libraries
• providing material that will reflect and support the social, economic and cultural aspirations of all sections of the community
• providing material that will promote and support race equality and an understanding of cultural diversity
• developing a training programme for staff in stock management
• evaluating the performance of stock.

You may wish to read the complete Library Stock Management Policy, revised February 2010, which is available here for reading online or for downloading. It contains sections dealing with the selection, management, exchange, withdrawal, promotion and monitoring of stock within Shropshire Libraries.

To find out more, please contact the Senior Librarian, Bibliographical Services by following the link on this page to Bibliographical Services. This will take you to an online e-mail form and full telephone, fax and postal details.

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